Colorado, 2025Dust Storm and Damaging Winds in Colorado, March 14, 2025
March 14, 2025 · NWS GLD · 7 events in 5 counties and zones
During the morning of the 14th, northwesterly winds began speeding up as a cold front moved across the region from the northwest to the east. Eastern Colorado saw winds up to 85 MPH that lofted dust, causing visibilities to drop to around 200 feet in Cheyenne county.
Every event with a place to put it; 4 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
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- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 7
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
During the morning of the 14th, northwesterly winds began speeding up as a cold front moved across the region from the northwest to the east. Eastern Colorado saw winds up to 85 MPH that lofted dust, causing visibilities to drop to around 200 feet in Cheyenne county. U.S. Highway 40 and Interstate 70 were both shut down due to the hazardous conditions. Conditions began to improve in the early to mid-afternoon. Scattered storms also occurred and assisted in 70 MPH winds reaching the surface.
What forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Goodland, KS wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 14, 8:39 AM MST, 1 hour 11 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Mar 14, 8:39 AM MST, 1 hour 11 minutes before
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</html>Hazardous weather outlook, Mar 14, 8:44 AM MST, 1 hour 6 minutes before
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Local storm report, Mar 14, 9:14 AM MST, 36 minutes before
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</html>Event by event
3 high wind, 3 thunderstorm wind, 1 dust storm. Local standard time, as filed.
High Wind, Cheyenne County
- When
- March 14, 9:50 AM MST to 2:30 PM MST
- Where
- Cheyenne County forecast zone
- Measured
- 74 kt (85 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- Mesonet
- Coordinates
- 38.828, -102.603 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Starting at 0950 LST, mesonets began reporting gusts at 62 MPH. 1330 LST was the last recorded gust above 58 MPH, however gusts above 50 MPH continued into the late afternoon. The peak gust was 85 MPH recorded at UP 694, east of Arapahoe. These strong winds kicked up dust, causing a dust storm.
High Wind, Kit Carson County
- When
- March 14, 9:55 AM MST to 11:45 AM MST
- Where
- Kit Carson County forecast zone
- Measured
- 63 kt (72 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- ASOS
- Coordinates
- 39.305, -102.603 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winds began gusting over 58 MPH just before 10 AM LST and continued until just before 3 PM LST. The peak recorded wind gust was 60 MPH at 1130 LST from the Burlington ASOS. Blowing dust did result from these strong winds causing Interstate 70 to be closed, but no visibilities below 1/2 mile were reported. Stronger winds were reported at the Burlington ASOS, however they occurred along with convection and will be entered as such in other events.
Dust Storm, Cheyenne County
- When
- March 14, 10:45 AM MST to 1:00 PM MST
- Where
- Cheyenne County forecast zone
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
- Coordinates
- 38.828, -102.603 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Multiple reports of visibility less than 1/4 mile in heavy blowing dust, sometimes dropping to around 200 feet. U.S. Highway 40 was shut down due to the dust storm. This blowing dust occurred in concert with the high winds.
High Wind, Yuma County
- When
- March 14, 11:35 AM MST to 1:45 PM MST
- Where
- Yuma County forecast zone
- Measured
- 51 kt (59 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- AWOS
- Coordinates
- 40.003, -102.424 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winds began gusting over 58 MPH just after 1130 AM LST and continued until 1345 LST. The peak recorded wind gust was 59 MPH at the start of the event recorded from the Wray AWOS. Both the Wray and Yuma AWOS sites reported visibilities under 5 miles in blowing dust, but nothing under 3 miles.
Thunderstorm Wind, Kit Carson
- When
- March 14, 11:40 AM MST to 12:10 PM MST
- Where
- Kit Carson County, 4.19 mi S of Burlington
- Measured
- 63 kt (72 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- ASOS
- Coordinates
- 39.240, -102.280
Burlington ASOS reported winds ranging from 58 to 73 MPH as a line of convective showers moved overhead.
Thunderstorm Wind, Kit Carson
- When
- March 14, 11:45 AM MST to 12:05 PM MST
- Where
- Kit Carson County, 4.17 mi S of Burlington
- Measured
- 63 kt (72 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- ASOS
- Coordinates
- 39.240, -102.279
As convection moved overhead, the Burlington ASOS reported gusts up to 72 MPH.
Thunderstorm Wind, Cheyenne
- When
- March 14, 12:05 PM MST to 12:20 PM MST
- Where
- Cheyenne County, 2.13 mi NW of Carlton
- Measured
- 74 kt (85 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- Mesonet
- Coordinates
- 38.850, -102.130
The UP694 site measured gusts up to 85 MPH as convection to the north decayed, producing an outflow, allowing for these gusts to occur.
- High Wind
- Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.
- Dust Storm
- Blowing dust that reduced visibility to a quarter mile or less.
- Thunderstorm Wind
- Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
- Dust Storm and Damaging Winds in Kansas, March 14, 20258 deaths · 45 injured · 67 kt wind · 19 events
- Tornadoes and Hail in Missouri, March 14 to 15, 20257 deaths · 2 injured · $39 million · EF3 · 22 events
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Mississippi, March 14 to 15, 20254 deaths · 23 injured · $27,000 · EF4 · 58 events
- Tornadoes and Hail in Missouri, March 14, 20253 deaths · 5 injured · $12 million · EF3 · 52 events
- Tornadoes and Hail in Missouri, March 14, 20253 injured · $11 million · EF3 · 128 events
- Wildfire and Dust Storm in Oklahoma, March 14 to 31, 20251 death · 6 injured · $50 million · 72 kt wind · 117 events
- Tornadoes and Hail in Illinois, March 14, 20257 injured · $1.8 million · EF2 · 69 events
- Tornadoes and Hail in Arkansas, March 14 to 15, 20254 injured · $2.6 million · EF2 · 12 events
- Tornadoes and Hail in Illinois, March 14 to 15, 2025$2.9 million · EF2 · 9 events
- Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Arkansas, March 14, 20252 injured · $750,000 · EF2 · 4 events
- Tornadoes and Hail in Missouri, March 14 to 15, 2025$575,000 · EF2 · 6 events
- Tornadoes and Hail in Illinois, March 14 to 15, 20252 injured · EF2 · 54 events
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1237693, 1237700, 1237732, 1237708, 1237761, 1239265, 1239270.